Vegas Knot (✔️) | Love Travels #1

Twenty

By the end of the day, I am hot, sticky, and covered in red dust, I swear. I have so many pictures they're rivaling the ones we — someone — took on our wedding day, and my legs hurt when I try to move them, but we have one more stop.

One last stop that I very much do not want to participate in. I thought we'd be home by now.

But we aren't. So I might as well make the best of it.

We're all so tired that the drive out there is almost silent, each of us merely admiring the growing darkness or taking a short nap.

Enrique stops scrolling through his pictures and taps me on the shoulder. "Look at this," he whispers, breaking the silence of the van. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is. It was. I can't believe how pretty the painted hills looked."

"I didn't even know they were there. I knew the Grand Canyon was, well, grand. But I don't think I really understood just how huge until we drove around a tiny portion and it left me not being able to feel my left ankle."

"Still not feeling great? I'm so sorry I stepped on you."

"I'll forgive you, because you fell. So I don't think you really had much control of where you were stepping."

"Touche." I watch him scroll through the rest of his pictures until he arrives at one of me, pausing just a moment too long. It's almost artistic. Beautiful. My body is relaxed on the ground and my dress is draped across me in a way that really shows off every reason I bought it. My hair, which feels sticky and gross, drapes over my shoulder and rustles in the wind. The picture moves.

"I can't believe how beautiful that is. It didn't feel that way at the time."

"It never does out in the desert, does it? I could send the picture to you, if you want," he says, keeping his eyes trained on the phone.

"I'd like that."

"Really?"

"Why? Do you want to rescind the offer?"

"No. I'm just surprised you took me up on it."

"You made my sticky hot mess look beautiful. Why wouldn't I want that?"

The silence fills the car once again as Enrique smiles to himself and hums a song I've never heard before. But even in my tired state it makes me want to dance a little.

In no time at all our guide stops the van and turns on the interior lights. "We're here. Is everyone ready?"

No. But let's get this done.

We all pour out of the van in various states of alertness, but by the time we reach the edge of the parking area and look up, we're all very present.

"Wow."

"And I thought the hills were amazing," Enrique notes, reaching for my hand and wrapping it in his own. "But this is... wow."

"I haven't known you long, but you being at a loss for words is definitely wow," I quip. But it doesn't take long for the glittering sky to take back my attention. "You can see everything from here. This is amazing."

"I don't even want to try to photograph it," Enrique admits. "I feel like I'd just not capture the beauty. I think I already had my one lucky photograph today."

"Well, then. Why don't we go this way?" I pull him a little away from the small crowd. There are people lined up all over the place to look at the sky, but if there's one thing this place doesn't lack it's space. "I think we have an hour or more here, so I'm sure we have time to look around or find a place to sit and snack on something I know you have with you."